Cold Blood Cave
by Red Onimusha
Summary: “You F-ing leach.” Caïm yelled. “Get off me!” He grabbed a hidden dagger from his belt and shoved it into Lestát’s gut. It penetrated at a 45 angle. He dragged the steel up past the chest and pulled it out when he reached the neck... Please R&R!


7H3 L337 0N3: **Ok peeps, this is one of the random ideas that i got in my sleep. This was ment to be just a oneshot but ppl have encourage me to continue it. Setting is the same as ES4 Oblivion. Now this tale, if you will, is the first post to this site that i've done. So if you find anything wrong in here, plz let me know. Have fun.**

_**"Cold Blood Cave"**_

Caïm ­and Gray steeped into the damp cave gently as the crude door they entered through closed silently. Caïm scanned down the pitch-black tunnel ahead of them. They didn't make out a thing. "Damn. Can't see anything, he whispered.

"That's why you have me," chuckled Gray. "Give me a sec…" She put a hand on Caïm's shoulder and thought, _Reveal The Shadows._ She didn't think it in the common tongue of course, but in the ancient language of magik. "There we go."

Caïm looked around; everything was gradually turning a blue color. Everything could now be seen, from the rock walls to the inky darkness ahead. He found a crude path on the rocky ground and turned to Gray. "Remember," he whispered to her. "These guys are vampires. They are much stronger and faster that us. The only thing that we have on our side is surprise, and the garlic laced silver arrows." He paused for a second. "But don't worry, we'll be fine. Just don't forger to stay close and to step lightly."

"Don't fret. I'll listen to orders." Gray reassured.

"Let's hope so…"

The two of them silently walked down the tunnels of the cave, taking any turn that descended. They were given little info to go on for the mission. Just that the main chamber was at the lowermost point. Along the way they found the tunnels littered by coffins and bodies, not enough to block the way but just enough the detour anyone who was smart enough to realize what was inside. By the third turn the entered a small room, if one dared to call it so. Inside a wooden table and bookshelf combo sat to the wall. The desk was littered with various herbs, roots, and seeds. The bookshelf held equipment for alchemy, the devices and books and the like. This little setup caught Caïm's interest, so he went to investigate.

On the edge of the table there was a folded piece of paper. Looking inside he found an entry for a potion he didn't know how to make. He called Gray over. "Look at this: 'Crush up a hand full of Faux seeds in a Mortar & Pestle. Mix the power into a container of simmering water. Shake until the power has dissolved completely. Water should then be the color of yellow.' Hmmm…sounds like a feather potion, weak one maybe." Gray could care less. "Tell you what, you look around the area and I'll make us some 'feather shots'. Deal?"

"Yeah you do that, then take the equipment. We need the coin." Caïm was already working on the drinks. "Now to earn my pay," she thought out loud with a hungry face. She started with the books. Skimming through, she found some interesting ones; _Poisons_, _The Thieves Guide_, and one in a Daderic text. Hidden behind them were four small rubies and some coin. She took the mini loot and glanced around the area. A small, wooden chest with iron bands sat in a corner. "Hmmm…looks promising." Gray went over and tried to open it. No luck. Locked. "Hmmm…" examining the lock, she discovered that it was a simple 3-pin lock. She selectively dug out a pick from one of the many bags she carried, most of them hidden in the folds of her clothes. Crouching down, she got to work on the lock. The pick was cheap-o, but she was an expert on lock picking. "Come on…almost there…sing to me." After a moment, the lock clicked and the lid snapped open. Inside were 500 coin, crumpled papers, and a single stone about the size of ones fist. She picked it up and examined it. The stone was a lava-orange and unnaturally cold, with a lightweight to it.

"Hey Gray!" Caïm whispered. "The drinks are done. Find anything?"

"Yeah: books, coin, rubies, paper, and a Sigil Stone I believe." She chuckled a bit. "And all you did was make a potion." She stashed he loot in her pack and drew out her bow.

Grays bow was insane. It's a small, ebony short bow that can hit any target accurately at 70+ yards. How she had come by this state-of-the-art bow, not even Caïm knew.

"Getting anxious are we?" Caïm teased. "If that's the case then let's go." He put the potions in his pack and set out down the next tunnel. Gray followed close behind. As they explored the cave of '_Cold Blood'_ the scent of a fire could be detected. Soon they saw light and heard voices as they neared the main chamber.

"Alright here's the plan." Caïm spoke into Gray's ear. "I will take the left and distract then if need to be. You take the right and kill the target if possible. Don't do anything until I give the signal, and not BEFORE like last time." Grey smiled. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Just don't get hurt ok?"

"I promise not to." He answered. "I wouldn't dream of it. Life's too fun."

They parted separate ways and each took their position. Caïm his himself behind some stalagmites neat the far left of the chamber. He found a small hollow in the wall that he could fit in. He took it. He took off his pack and stashed it further in the place. He then unsheathed his short sword. Caïm took slow, deep breathes to calm his mind for the fight ahead.

Gray also took her place, but at the right side of the underground chamber. Crouching behind a large boulder, she slid her pack off and drew her bow. She then scanned the area for hostiles. There were seven vampires, including the target, the lord of this coven. Gray drew out four garlic-arrows and stuck three of them into the rocky soil. The other one she notched onto the bow. She took out a small dagger, waiting for the signal.

Caïm reflected the firelight to Gray's position. She reflected it back. Gray drew back on the bow and aimed at the target. His center mass was lined up with the arrowhead. This will be an easy kill, she thought. She didn't breath for a moment………then let go of the string. The silver streak leaped from the bow, spiraling clockwise. It was virtually invisible in the darkness. The arrow drove into the targets chest silently, knocking him to the ground with a barely auditable thud. He died before he hit the ground. "Score!" she whispered to herself. "Now time to leave." She gave the signal to Caïm, gathered her stuff, and they both started to leave.

Lestát was hidden in a small room above the main chamber of 'Cold Blood Cave'. Everything that has been playing out could be seen by him; including the assassination and their escape. It's amazing, he thought, what some people think they can get away with. "I'm always one to welcome new members," Lestát spoke loudly, directing his word at the intruders. "But I regret to inform you that there is no place here for ASSASSINS!" Every single vampire and follower instantly turned to the only tunnel, stopping the two in their tracks. "Oh…-"

"'-Shit…" Caïm declared.

"You two are too careless," the vampire continued." Upon your arrival, you tripped three wards. That pawn you killed wasn't our lord." The vampire dropped from his secret room from above, a full 50 feet, and landed gracefully on the ground near the two. "I am the vampire you were sent to kill. I am Vampire Lord Lestát!" Both Gray and Caïm were looking at him now.

Before them stood Lestát, clad in a blood red robe that only exposed his head. His face looked like a master artist crafted it; his shoulder length hair flowing freely, hiding one eye behind a veil of black, blood tainted hair. His face was both beautiful and disturbing. It was too perfect; angled jaw, rosy lips, sculpted nose, defined cheekbones…but the most stunning were his eyes. They were angled and sharp, red with rage. They were the eyes of one who harbored a great blood lust inside, eager to let it run rampant.

Caïm stood and composed himself. "If that's the case," he dragged out while rubbing his forearm, "then I should…Fix My Mistake!" Caïm pressed a hidden button under his clad arm and a dagger shot out of his sleeve above his hand, aimed at Lestát's throat. In a blur of movement Lestát plucked the dagger from the air and hurled it at Caïm. But it struck nothing but air. He was already in the air, sword drawn and closing in on his target. Gray realized what was happening and started to backpedal, taking out any vampire she could. At that moment Caïm and Lestát collided in a flurry of steel, trading blows back and forth.

_This isn't good,_ she thought. _We pushed out luck too far this time._ She dropped another vampire that had managed to get within ten feet of her. But another two rushed her. Thinking fast, she notched two arrows at once, took a general aim, and fired. By a fluke each one penetrated a throat. One dropped like a rock, while the other gurgled a final bloodied breath before joining his comrade. The only bloodsucker left now was Lestát, and she was down to her last arrow. Gray notched is and took pinpoint aim at him. Waiting for her one and only chance.

Caïm parried a downward slash from Lestát and thrusted, all he caught was clothes. Lestát took advantage of this and hit Caïm in the side with the hilt of his sword. Caïm staggered back and raised his weapon in defense. At that moment an arrow protruded from Lestát's shoulder. He screamed in pain and surprise. Caïm took the opportunity and leaped at him sword first. The steel cut past the clothes, through the flesh and sinew, and out of Lestát's back. He let out a soft gasp and fell of the sword, crumpling onto the ground. Caïm knelt next to the dieing form. "You should have never crossed the Brotherhood…" he said. "You wouldn't have to die then."

He looked around and saw Gray retrieving her arrows and anything valuable from the bodies. He turned back to the bloodsucker and looked for the item that world prove his death. The necklace, with a single blood filled capsule, rested around his neck. "I have…one thing to … tell you." Lestát managed, voice raspy.

"Really now?" Caïm was doubtful.

"Yessss…" he continued. "This is only…the beginning…of the end…Oblivion is coming."

"Hold on wait a second," demanded Caïm. "What do you mean 'Oblivion is coming'?"

"I'll give you…one more thing."

Caïm leaned a bit closer. "And that would be…?"

"MY CURSE!" Lestát moved with great speed, grabbing Caïm and bit his neck. His fangs broke the skin and drove into mussel. Caïm screamed in excruciating pain, trying to get free of him. He was being drained of his lifeblood. Gray heard his scream and was running over to him. "You fucking leach." Caïm yelled. "Get off me!" He grabbed a hidden dagger from his belt and shoved it into Lestát's gut. It penetrated at a 45° angle. He dragged the steel up past the chest and pulled it out when he reached the neck. Lestát let go and fell back, dead. Gray reached Caïm and looked at the damage: two deep holes were in his neck, blood still trickling down his side.

"Not good…the bite is deep and you've lost too much blood." Gray pulled out a clean rag from her pocket and bound the wound tight. Then took another cloth and tucked it under the rag. "This is gonna have to work till we can get better supplies." Gray informed him. "But we have to leave now before anyone else comes."

Caïm shuddered. "Wait. Grab all of the magical items that you can. We need the money." Caïm bet off. "Then leave."

"Fine, just hold on for five more minutes." Gray nodded and took off, jumping from body to body. She gathered the scrolls, coins, potions, picks, and any magik items.

"We need the coin." Caïm thought. "We can't keep taking jobs from Ocheva and expect to live normally. We just need to get 1000 more coin and we can get that house in Bruma." Then he remembered the mission item. He took the necklace off the body and put it around his own neck. Spots started to appear in the fringe of his vision. He was light-headed. Then the dizziness struck, the entire chamber spun rapidly. "Well this will screw up your day," he muttered to himself, and suddenly the ground hit his face. As he faded from awareness, all he heard was Gray scream "Omygod! Caïm!" Then he faded into darkness…

_Caïm was sitting in a fabulously decorated dinner hall. The walls were lined with beautiful paintings in gold frames and the ceiling was hung with elegant chandeliers. In the center was a long dinner table that could seat twenty people in the least. It was set with enough food to feed a small village: hams that were slowly cooked over a coal-pit, topped with pineapple and brown sugar; huge sirloin steaks, that ranged from extra rare to well done, were flavored with the best and most favorable spices around. There were salads, fruit, potatoes, fish, fowl, bread…the goblets were filled with an old Surealion wine. The chairs that sat around the table were carved out of the highest grade of red oak, bearing designs of a master carpenter. Caïm looked at his plate, a half eaten steak and the remains of a salad were on it. He then looked up at his host. He looked familiar, with his black hair and red cloak. The host raised his goblet in a toast, and Caïm returned to the gesture. Then everything changed as he drank deeply from his cup. The wine suddenly tasted slightly off, a bit metallic, slightly thick. He thought a moment, and realized what the wine was…**BLOOD.** He spat the liquid out and dropped his cup. Looking down, he saw what he had been eating. The Steak had been a spoiled chunk of meat, covered in maggots, while the salad had been nothing but a pile of flesh. Horrified, Caïm frantically looked around. The once beautiful walls were now bleeding, the wonderful paintings now showed images of executions and assassinations in the most gruesome ways. The chandeliers were now wheals of rotting limbs. With complete and utter fear Caïm looked at his host, and realized who it was…Lestát. Lestát stood up, slowly turning into a skeletal corpse. Caïm lost it and bolted for the exit. He didn't get far though. Lestát flew from of the table and leaped onto his back. And to Caïm's unfathomable fear, sank his bony fangs into his neck. A soul-shaking scream tore from his lips._

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Caïm screamed, bolting straight up and flung the undead thing off of him. He was in a cold sweat, breathing hard. Slowly as the terror died he realized that it was all a dream. "Alright,' he told himself. "And your surroundings."

Looking around Caïm saw he was in a room he had never been to before. He was sitting in a new bed in an empty wooden room. "Where the hell am I?" He slowly got up, realizing that he was rather stiff. Also discovering he had on a pair of slack cloth paints and no shirt. He then made his way to the door to his left and went through. Past the door was a staircase of wood in a slightly larger room. Cautiously he walked up them. Two of the steps creaked, the third and seventh ones. Directly in front of him was a heavyset wooden door like the last. A cold draft came from underneath it. "Somewhere north?" Caïm followed the wall around, leading him into a small hallway. It opened into a somewhat decent-sized room. Inside stood a round table with three chairs tucked underneath, ready to be pulled out to serve its function. The pieces of furniture, however simplistic, faced a large stone fireplace. It contained a small crackling fire that warded off the cold. It looked to have been burning for quite some time though. "Where is Gray?" he muttered. "Better question, where is my stuff? Hmmm…I wonder." Caïm went back to the bedroom and looked under the mattress. His short sword, slack cloth shirt, and a note were there. "Better have some answers."

Caïm,

About time your butt woke up. You should feel good since you slept the entire way to Bruma. The house you're in is ours. Remember that house for sell? Yeah we made enough money during the mission to get it so I did. I ended up taking all of the good weapons off the bodies after the fight with Lestát. That racked in **5000 gold!** So with the item sells and our savings, I bought the house. We have around 2ooo left, but I personally thing it was worth it. I left some money behind a false brick in the fireplace. But anyway I'm at the hide out right now explaining the situation and collecting our pay. Oh…you've been out since Mondas (12,3E548) and I'll be back by the 20th. So relax and take care while I'm gone. (Translation: Don't get into trouble or I'll kill you!)

**PS-You might want to find some jobs to keep busy.**

**-Love**

**Gray**

Hideout then huh? Caïm thought. "What the heck is today? And is my stuff with her?" Then hunger hit him hard. Time to eat! He grabbed and put on the shirt and sheathed the weapon on his back. He then went to the fireplace. Scanning it, a brick with some soot marked on it stood out to him instantly. He slid the brick out, and…nothing. "Wha?" Then he realized the brick was hollow, and it held a many coins; 100 at least! He dumped the money into his hand and a note came out with it.

**Sorry but I forgot to tell you that the rest of your stuff is with me. (150 coin)**

**-Gray**

"Not bad," Caïm said to himself. "Not bad at all. Thanks Gray." He put half of the money back into the brick and the rest into his pants' pocket, and then placed the brick back into the wall. He had a ravenous hunger now. "Let's fix this problem. Shall we?" Caïm went to the door and noticed a key hanging on a nail by it. He took it. "God this is going to suck…" He opened the door and ran into the snow, door slamming shut behind him with a loud BANG!


End file.
